Preacher’s Sons: love makes a family

August 11, 2007

Meet the Stewart Family:
Rev. Greg Stewart, his partner Stillman, and their five adopted
sons. C Reed and Mark Neely follow the family for four years inPreacher’s Sons, creating a telling documentary of what it
means to be a gay parent in America. The website
states:

This is the cinema verité story of five irrepressible
but troubled boys – pulled from the train wreck of foster care
– the two articulate men who are now their fathers, and their
moving metamorphosis into a solid family unit. It is also a lively
road picture, as liberal minister Greg Stewart leads his fledgling
tribe from their Los Angeles home to spend 4 years living under
siege in the conservative heartland.

Middle America is hostile territory to this unconventional family.
Preacher’s Sons invites you to accompany them on their trying
journey and experience the courage and humor that enable them to
meet the extraordinary challenges of everyday life.

Based on the film’s trailer and Web site, it is clear
this is more than just a feel-good portrait. The filmmakers show
the family in all its ups and downs. We see the boys struggle in
school and the dads struggle with time, money, and their own
relationship. We see them deal with homophobia and racial
prejudice. Most importantly, though, we see the love that binds
them, and the dads’ commitment to a Christian ideal that the far
right cannot even fathom. “I believe that I’m doing what God
wanted me to do,” says Stillman in the trailer, and it is hard to
disagree.